IRC concerned over counterfeit goods

PNG Customs has expressed grave concerns at the growing amount of imported counterfeit products flooding the PNG consumer market.
Acting Commissioner-General of the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) Betty Palaso said the IRC was doing all it could within its means to counter this and was currently involved with other agencies in developing strategies to fight this problem.
“The World Customs Organisation (WCO) has estimated that trade in counterfeit goods made up five to seven percent of global trade with sales equivalent to US$12 billion,” she said.
She commended the stance taken by the Commissioner of Customs Gary Juffa and the Customs operations of the IRC to tackle the trade in pirated goods by running workshops, working together with other line agencies to develop legislation and sending IRC officers overseas in capacity building programmes to equip them with the knowledge to fight this growing problem associated with counterfeit goods.
A three-day workshop was run by the IRC Customs Enforcement and Policy and Legal Affairs Division on Intellectual Property Rights on the last May 28.
Mr Palaso said IRC needed to increase staff members in Customs operations to adequately facilitate and protect legitimate business, travellers and improve border security.
“This would be addressed as the IRC looked into an organisational restructure that is driven by its business needs in line with global changes in trade,” she said.

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